Studying LATE at night (the secret to success?)

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares a personal experiment of staying up late until 3 or 4 a.m. to be productive during the quiet hours. They discuss the concept of 'chronotype', explaining how genetics influence our natural sleep patterns. While acknowledging the societal preference for morning people, they explore the benefits and challenges of being a night owl, including increased focus during late-night hours and the difficulty of adapting to a schedule not designed for them. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of personal experimentation with different routines to find what works best for individual productivity, rather than blindly following prescriptive advice.

Takeaways

• 🌙 The speaker experimented with staying up late until 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. to be productive during the late-night hours, similar to the early morning productivity culture.
• 📚 They found that late-night hours can offer a unique focus and energy for getting work done, especially when the world is asleep.
• 🕊 The concept of 'night owls' and 'morning larks' is scientifically proven, with genetics determining when individuals are naturally more alert.
• 🌌 Historically, different sleep patterns evolved to ensure that there were always people awake to protect early human communities.
• 🏢 Modern society is structured around morning routines, which can be challenging for 'night owls' who naturally prefer to stay up late.
• 🌞 There is a societal misconception that waking up late or staying up late equates to laziness, despite individuals getting the same amount of sleep.
• 🚀 The speaker admits that early morning hours can be more focused and productive, but also believes there's an advantage to staying up late for some people.
• 🛌 Long-term, staying up late might not be sustainable due to societal expectations and the need for sunlight and a regular sleep schedule.
• 🌞 Lack of sunlight and a disrupted sleep schedule can negatively impact mental health, making waking up late feel worse.
• 📉 The constant awareness of having to work late at night can create stress and prevent relaxation during the day.
• 🌟 However, the lack of distractions during late-night hours can lead to heightened focus and productivity for those who are naturally inclined to be night owls.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the experiment of staying up late to be productive and the concept of 'night owls' versus 'morning larks', including the advantages and disadvantages of this lifestyle.

What is the term used to describe people who naturally prefer to sleep late and wake up late?

The term used is 'night owls', which is part of the concept of 'chronotype'.

What does the speaker suggest is a possible advantage of staying up late?

The speaker suggests that staying up late can lead to increased focus and productivity during the late-night hours when the world is asleep.

According to the speaker, why might modern society not be well-suited for night owls?

Modern society is structured around the schedules of morning people, with typical work and school hours starting early in the day, which can make it difficult for night owls to adapt.

What is the speaker's view on the idea of waking up early being a sign of productivity?

The speaker acknowledges that there is a cultural perception that waking up early is a sign of productivity, but they argue that productivity is not something that can be prescribed to everyone and that staying up late can also be productive for some.

What is the disadvantage mentioned by the speaker regarding staying up late in the long run?

The disadvantage mentioned is that staying up late is not sustainable in the long run due to societal structures and the need for sunlight and a regular sleep schedule.

What does the speaker suggest as a potential positive aspect of working late at night?

The speaker suggests that working late at night can be beneficial for those who are naturally more alert during those hours, allowing them to focus better and get more done.

What does the speaker mean by 'monk mode' in the context of the video?

By 'monk mode', the speaker is referring to an intense period of focus and productivity, such as working on a book or preparing for exams, during late-night hours.

What advice does the speaker give regarding trying different productivity methods?

The speaker advises viewers to be their own science experiment, trying different methods to see what works best for them individually, rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.

What is the speaker's conclusion about staying up late for productivity?

The speaker concludes that while staying up late can be beneficial for short-term productivity, it is not a sustainable long-term solution due to its impact on sleep schedules and societal norms.

What does the speaker suggest about the importance of sunlight for night owls?

The speaker suggests that even though they are a night owl, sunlight is important for everyone's well-being, implying that adapting to a lifestyle that includes sunlight exposure might be healthier.

Outlines

00:00

🌙 Embracing the Night Owl Productivity

The speaker shares their recent experiment of staying up late until 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. to be productive during the quiet late-night hours. They compare this to the common advice of waking up early and suggest that for some, late-night productivity might be more effective due to fewer distractions and a unique focus that can be achieved during these hours. The speaker also references the concept of 'chronotype', explaining how genetics can influence when individuals are naturally most alert, and how society's structures often favor morning people, potentially disadvantaging night owls.

05:00

🌗 Weighing the Pros and Cons of Late-Night Productivity

The speaker delves into the disadvantages of staying up late long-term, noting the misalignment with societal norms and the potential negative impact on mental health due to disrupted sleep schedules and lack of sunlight. They acknowledge that while it can lead to increased productivity, especially for those naturally inclined to be night owls, it may not be sustainable for everyone. The speaker also touches on the societal perception of late risers as lazy, contrasting it with the productivity that can be achieved during late-night hours.

10:01

🌟 Finding Personal Productivity Protocols

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of personal experimentation to find what works best for each individual, rather than blindly following productivity advice that may not suit everyone. They reflect on their own experiences with different sleep patterns and the need to adapt to societal expectations while acknowledging the benefits of both early mornings and late-night productivity. The speaker encourages viewers to consider trying out late-night work sessions if they align with their chronotype but also to be aware of the challenges and the need to reset sleep schedules accordingly.

Keywords

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency with which an individual accomplishes tasks or goals. In the video, the speaker explores the concept of staying up late to increase productivity, suggesting that the quiet hours of the night can provide a distraction-free environment conducive to focused work. The speaker's experiment with late-night productivity is a central theme of the video.

💡Chronotype

Chronotype is a term used to describe an individual's natural sleep-wake preference. The video explains that some people are 'night owls' who feel more alert and productive during the night, while others are 'morning larks' who prefer waking up early. The concept is integral to the discussion about the suitability of different schedules for different people, as it relates to their natural rhythms and societal expectations.

💡Night Owl

A 'night owl' is a person who prefers to stay up late into the night and sleep during the morning hours. The video script discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being a night owl, particularly in the context of productivity. The speaker identifies with this chronotype and uses personal experience to explore the potential benefits of late-night work sessions.

💡Morning Lark

A 'morning lark' is someone who naturally wakes up early and is most active during the early hours of the day. The video contrasts this with the night owl chronotype, discussing societal structures that favor morning larks, such as typical work and school schedules, and the challenges faced by night owls in adapting to these norms.

💡Societal Expectations

Societal expectations refer to the norms and standards that a society collectively agrees upon. The video touches on how modern society is structured around the preferences of morning larks, with standard work and school hours that can be challenging for night owls to adapt to, thus affecting their mental health and productivity.

💡Mental Health

Mental health is the state of an individual's psychological and emotional well-being. The script mentions that staying up late can negatively impact mental health due to disrupted sleep schedules and lack of sunlight exposure. It's a significant factor in the discussion about the sustainability of late-night productivity routines.

💡Experiment

The term 'experiment' in the video refers to the speaker's personal trial of staying up late to work and be productive. It's a method used to test the hypothesis that late-night hours can be more conducive to productivity. The speaker shares the results and insights gained from this self-imposed experiment.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the context of the video pertains to the long-term feasibility of a lifestyle or routine. The speaker questions the sustainability of staying up late due to its potential negative effects on health and societal obligations, suggesting that while it may work short-term, it may not be suitable for ongoing implementation.

💡Diet

Although not the main focus, the video briefly mentions 'diet' as an example of how prescriptive advice can be misleading if not tailored to individual needs. The speaker uses diet as a parallel to productivity routines, emphasizing the importance of personal experimentation over following one-size-fits-all advice.

💡Sunlight

Sunlight is essential for regulating the body's circadian rhythm and maintaining good health. The script points out that staying up late can result in reduced exposure to sunlight, which can have negative effects on an individual's mood and overall well-being, especially for those who naturally sleep late.

💡Personal Experiment

A 'personal experiment' in the video refers to the speaker's approach to testing different productivity methods, such as staying up late, to determine what works best for them. It underscores the importance of individualized approaches to productivity and self-improvement, rather than blindly following generic advice.

Highlights

Experimenting with staying up late as a productivity method.

Contrasting the late-night productivity culture with the early morning productivity culture.

The personal experience of staying up until 3:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m. to get work done.

The concept of 'chronotype' and its impact on sleep and productivity.

Matt Walker's insights on how genes determine your natural sleep time.

Evolutionary reasons for different sleep patterns in human history.

Modern society's alignment with morning-oriented schedules and the challenges it poses for night owls.

The societal misconception of late risers being lazy or unproductive.

The potential for increased focus and productivity during late-night hours.

The disadvantages of long-term late-night work on mental health and sleep schedules.

The idea of using late-night hours for 'monk mode' or intense periods of focused work.

The importance of adapting to one's chronotype for optimal productivity.

The difficulty of night owls adapting to society's expectations and schedules.

The personal decision to switch from staying up late to waking up early for better societal alignment.

The caution against prescribing productivity methods to everyone, as they may not suit individual chronotypes.

Encouraging individuals to experiment with different productivity methods to find what works best for them.

The acknowledgment of the sleep deprivation and difficulty in resetting sleep schedules after late-night experiments.

A final note on the struggle of night owls in a society not designed for them, and the importance of sunlight for all.

Transcripts

so for the past week or so I've been

doing this experiment I've been staying

up really late I took advantage I've

been staying up really late till like

3:00 a.m. 4:00 a.m. and in those late

hours of the day I've been trying to be

really productive trying to stay focused

trying to get some serious work done in

like the past last 4 3 hours of the day

cuz you know how online there's is like

culture of like waking up really early

because you know the whole world is

asleep all your friends are asleep you

know wake up at 4 a.m. get everything

done before everyone wakes up this is

kind of the same thing but instead of

like waking up early and getting things

done when you first wake up this is like

sleeping late and getting things done

before you go to sleep so this was kind

of an experiment I did for the past week

and I do think for many people maybe not

like in the long run maybe not like

sustainably for a long time but for many

people this can actually be a really

great thing to do staying up late and

like you can get some serious stuff done

because just like waking up early the

whole world is asleep there's a

different kind of like energy a

different kind of like Focus that you

can achieve in these hours of the

morning when people are asleep so I'm

going to go through that in this video

and talk about like will this work for

you the advantage ages and the

disadvantages cuz you know for my whole

life I've experimented like waking up

and sleeping at different times like in

high school there were periods where I

would wake up at like 4:00 a.m. you know

that's I think that was the earliest I

ever woke up actually there was there

was a period where I was literally

waking up at 12:00 a.m. I'm not even

kidding I would get home from school go

to sleep and wake up at 12:00 a.m. at

midnight so I've experimented with all

these things like for me like you know

during exam Seasons I would wake up

pretty early like 6:00 a.m. back in the

day but now I kind of wake up at a more

normal time you know I wake up around

you know early morning maybe 8:00 or

something that 700 maybe not 700 8 I'm

trying to wake up at 7:00 now I've also

gone through periods of like sleeping

really late I've always naturally been

like a late sleeper you know I like

staying up till like 2: a.m. 3:00 a.m.

and waking up a bit more later in the

morning cuz I mean there have been

successful people in history whove

actually stayed up late and achieved a

lot of their stuff staying up late like

I recently saw this podcast by this guy

called Tim Ferris he's a pretty

successful writer and he talked about

how a lot of his writing periods like a

lot of Seasons where he did a lot of his

writing he actually stayed up really

late to get that stuff done so I do

think it can actually be something that

can be actually used to your advantage

okay the first thing I want to mention

here in this video this thing I learned

about recently it blew my mind when I

first learned about this this was crazy

so I used to think the the concept of

what I'm about to say I used to think it

was I used to think it was like

pseudo science like you know like star

signs or like you know astrology stuff

like that I used to think it was

complete like false but apparently it's

100% true it's like science proven so

recently I watched a podcast by this

sleep expert called Matt Walker and

basically you know the whole concept of

like night owls like how there's night

hours and morning locks like some people

just naturally sleep really late some

people just naturally wake up really

early this is called a chronotype and

apparently according to Matt Walker the

Sleep expert apparently this is 100%

true and completely proven apparently

your genes do determine when you

naturally are more alert and when you

naturally like go to sleep so the reason

for this apparently it's like humans

evolved to have these chronotypes to

sleep at certain times because for most

of human history we were living in these

hunter gatherer societies of like 100

200 300 people and you could imagine if

every single person slept at the same

time if everybody slept at 8:00 p.m. and

woke up at 5:00 a.m. then there would be

this period of like 9 hours where the

whole tribe would be asleep so you could

imagine how that was a massive

disadvantage so humans evolved to the

point where like you know some people

are sleeping at 8 some people are

sleeping at 10:00 some people are

sleeping at midnight so we got to this

point where there could always be people

awake protecting the others but the

unfortunate thing is modern society is

no longer like that we no longer need

these shifts of people being awake and

being asleep and the unfortunate thing

is society is designed around the

morning person I mean work is 9: to 5:

so going to work you have to be there at

9:00 a.m. school at least for me in high

school was at 7:00 a.m. bro so you know

I had to wake up at like 5:00 a.m. 6:00

a.m. just to go to school so Society is

designed around the morning person which

if you're a morning person that's great

that's fine but for night hours people

who naturally sleep past midnight they

get Society is not designed for

night hours at all so there are some

there are many people out there who are

naturally night hours and they struggle

to adapt to society to live to society

like they have to they they must but

it's difficult for them so and not only

that you know modern media modern the

culture currently in the world is that

people who wake up late people who sleep

really late are considered lazy they're

considered unproductive like bro if you

wake up at 4 a.m. you're a God you're a

king you're super productive you're you

know you're the top top person but if

you wake up late or sleep late you're

lazy you're unproductive you're you know

a drag to society but like the thing is

they're still getting the same amount of

sleep they're still staying up for the

same amount of time so what's the

difference between those two people now

actually here's the thing I will say

that there is something about these

morning hours like these hours when most

of society is asleep there is something

about those hours that is more like I

find I can be more focused more

productive during those hours if you've

ever tried to get work done past

midnight or like really early in the

morning you will realize that you can

actually get more done it's actually way

more efficient in those hours so I do

admit there is actually something

special about waking up early but what

about staying up late that's what I want

to go through in this video is there

also an advantage to being able to stay

up late cuz for some people like night

hours like me it could be more natural

to stay up late so I'm going to go

through the pros and the cons here of is

is it actually worth trying a period of

staying up late so this is kind of like

an experiment I did on myself so first

I'll go through the cons the

disadvantages of this so the first thing

want to say is doing this in the long

run is probably not sustainable cuz like

I said Society is designed around the

the the morning person so if you're

staying up to like 4:00 a.m. and waking

up really late every day it might work

for a couple weeks it might work for the

summer holidays but it's not going to

work when you when you've got a job it's

not going to work when you've got to go

to school so I don't think this is a

sustainable thing but I will go through

the cons and pros of doing it in the

short term so first the disadvantages

that they're pretty obvious it's going

to mess up your mental health I mean

like you're asleep for most of the Sumer

sunlight hours so you're not going to

get a lot of sunlight it throws off your

sleep schedule that's going to mess you

up your mental health you know you're

waking up late like I find when I wake

up late I just feel a lot worse cuz I'm

like bro the day is already gone I'm

waking up when the sun's like in the

middle of the sky like bro The Whole

World's already started I'm here I am

just getting out of bed it feels really

horrible like it does kind of mess you

up your mental health a little bit I

will admit also you know like

everything's going to be closed for the

majority of the time when you're awake

so you know although this is also an

advantage because you're aw wake when

people are asleep so you can kind of get

more focused on it but I'll talk about

that later but yeah like the obvious

thing is it's going to mess up your

mental health you're going to feel

really bad you're going to feel like

you're going to be getting less sunlight

it's going to mess up your sleep

schedule it is going to affect you

negatively it did affect me negatively

my mind my body everything but I did get

a lot of stuff done I will admit I did

get a lot of productive productivity

done uh the other disadvantage I will

say is if you're doing your hard work at

the end of the day then throughout the

day it's always going to be in the back

of your mind that you've got some

serious stuff to do at night you know

the day is reaching an end and instead

of being able to relax and chill for the

last part of your day you got to do your

work although to be honest you can see

this as a positive thing if you really

like working if you really like being

productive so I wouldn't consider this a

massive con okay the other obvious con

is if you're naturally a morning person

it will be very difficult for you to

stay up this late you're just going to

be so tired so dead so this video is

more towards the night hours the people

who naturally stay up late but if you're

not a night hourl that's fine stay stay

in this video watch this video cuz

there's going to be some interesting

insights for you as well so I'll go

through what I leared the pros of

actually staying up late so the first

thing I will tell you is yes the whole

world is asleep your friends are asleep

the whole world is asleep there are like

no distractions you can actually focus

and get much more stuff done I find like

I'm naturally just more focused more

alert for some reason in these really

early morning hours like I could focus

way better like I know it's technically

you could think like it's a placebo cuz

like you could just go on airplane mode

and stop their distractions right

technically you could say a place it's a

placebo but there's this kind of feeling

I don't know how to explain it unless

you try it you can't experience it but

you get this kind of feeling that like

everyone is asleep and you can just

focus better I really don't know how to

explain it you have to try it either

wake up early or stay up late and try to

get some stuff done and you'll agree

with me that there's this kind of like

energy permeating the the universe where

you can just focus better I don't know

how to explain it it just it's more

productive so 100% it's more productive

you can get some serious stuff done you

know how I would use this though is it's

more of like a monk mode kind of thing

more of like an intense period of a

couple weeks where you're like working

on something for example like let's say

you wanted to write a book you could

take a month of just staying up late and

writing that book or for me a lot of the

times during exam season I would

implement this for exams I would stay up

really late and get some stuff done so

it's up to you how you want to use this

say if you are a night out this can

actually take advantage of your

chronotype and help you focus a lot

better but you can go against your

corner type 100% if you are a night out

you can adapt to waking up early so I do

think waking up early this is what I'm

going to do I'm not going to do this

long term staying up late because like I

said you're offset from society it's not

sustainable because you got to go to

school you got to go to work you got to

meet people you got to get sunlight you

got to you got to be a member of society

so I am going to switch to waking up

early rather than staying up late but

this is the thing though for some people

they'll watch this video they'll hear

about the idea of staying up late and

they'll love it they'll be like bro this

is going to be my new life now they're

going to stay up late every day they're

going to get some serious stuff done in

the in the late hours of the day so this

is the other point I want to put up in

this video productivity being productive

is not something you can just prescribe

to everyone like it's a very common

online you know the advice of like wake

up at 4:00 a.m. wake up at 5:00 a.m. get

everything done be productive you know

do that you know productivity and many

things out there are prescriptive people

are telling everyone what to do you got

to do this you got to do this you got to

do this but the reality is you can't

really do that you can't tell you can't

have a general thing that applies to

everyone for example many people preach

the carnivore diet or the vegan diet or

some kind of diet and they're like bro

this diet is so good it helped me lose

weight it helped me stay focused I'm

sure it did I'm short the carnivore diet

helped this random guy lose 50 kg great

okay it worked for him but the thing is

it doesn't mean it's going to work for

everyone else and it doesn't mean that's

the only thing that works so that guy

tried one diet and he's preaching it

saying it it's the best diet in the

world what you need to do is you either

need to try every single diet or you

need to talk about the diet from like an

unbiased point of view so in this video

I'm talking about the advantages and

disadvantages of this night owl

experience and me I've tried all of them

I've tried waking up at different times

of the day so I'm giving my more you

know rounded perspective on this rather

than preaching to you that you must stay

up late or something cuz it's very easy

for me to say like oh yeah you must stay

up BL it's really productive but what

about the people who are not night hours

what about for the people who need to

adapt to society so this is not going to

apply for everyone productivity is not

something you can prescribe to everyone

so you got to be very careful with the

stuff you consume online many people

they'll talk with a lot of conviction

and they'll tell you like yeah you must

wake up early you must eat this diet you

must do this one thing because it worked

for me but doesn't mean it's going to

work for you doesn't doesn't mean it's

going to work for everyone doesn't mean

it's the only thing that works so you

need to take what looks interesting to

you and you need to be your own science

experiment you've got to take even the

stuff I talk about in this in my videos

you need to take stuff that looks

interesting to you and you need to

experiment you need to try in your own

life and design the protocols that work

for you try different things try

different protocols see what works for

you this is why in the past week I was

like okay I'm going to experiment

staying up late to see what it's like I

mean I used to do it back in the day

like many times I would naturally sleep

at like 3:00 a.m. 4:00 a.m. but I want

to experiment with it again to get

another perspective on it so I could

make a nice video on it to give you a

more like holistic perspective rather

than like preaching why you should stay

up late so I guess conclusion of this

video is you know it's up to you if you

want to try staying up late and see if

it works if you try it but I will say

the massive disadvantage is it will

your sleep schedule and it's going to

take you a while to get back on track to

your normal sleep schedule like I'm

pretty sleep deprived now because I'm

back to waking up early as I mean

back to waking up early and trying to

sleep early it's it's difficult to reset

your sleep schedule but you know it

might be worth it if you want to get

some serious stuff done in like a very

short amount of time consider it let me

know what you think in the video below

but yeah to all my night hours out there

we've been by Society man like I

don't know if I'm exactly a night hour

because I also really enjoy waking up

early so I'm I might be more of like a

rounded type of person but yeah if

you're a night hour man society's not

designed for us but I mean like you know

sunlight is good we all want to get

sunlight so I do think night owl is the

worst Chron type to have you know I'd

rather be someone who wakes up during

the hours when the sun is out cuz I like

the Sun but yeah anyway see you later

bro